Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-07
UNDER THE GaLIows TREE.
Post MOrtem discussion of the
Cluverius Case.

liam Madison's murderer and the silly
trioute oil weakminded women to a pass
ing sensation have been satisfied and
paid-nOw that all these things have
come TO pass the time has come to look
into the true lnwardness OF a cnuse
ceie0re wh'cA has dwarted everything
hereabouts INTO insigDihcance for MANY
month"; past.
WAS CLUNERIUS GUILTYs
Cluverius died without a confession, so
tits said.
But there are few here, perhaps only
q few, who are not tormented bv distract
ing DOUBTS about the murderer's guilt. II
IL beginning TO leak out that the thing
was to save the family pride, and this is a
quality Which In Virginia counts before
eyerythln; else.
Bear in hind that Cluverius and Lii
liam M2dlon We're cousins, not first
cousins, lts true, but still able TO trace
back thelr ted gree TO common stem
someWhere4 Even the seduction and
cruel deatnf young lady VINO Was the
direct desceEant of a President OF tn e
United state would not be so cruel a
blow to tamli pride as the fact Of a young
lawyer oil dls4 guished connections diving
the most dlstaceful of deaths and con-
tossing MS ait. My own Impression,
founded on Vi0erate ana careful re-
view OF facts loiished and unpublished,
Is that Cluverb
MADh CONFESSION
10 his council to some member of his
family as SoontS he became aware that
the sentence Wld be carried out. There
WAS really no Wbt about tue intention
Of the GoVerncnccordlng to bent au-
thorlty, LOT somtlme before the law was
suffered to takeE course; that is to say,
that GOV. Lee y4ied TO every reasonable
entre&ty 10 amp opportunity for the
prisoner 10 cle himself, but finding
the evidence AGiuslve and nothing
to justify l'rtn Interference the init
nation was c'nNed that there was no
hope.
It's possible To these interested in
preventing tne hplllatlon of confess
sl0n by CluNel lSnay have heard of his
intention TO clahis mind by confess
sion,or that MS ltrtO remarkable nerve
showed signs 0lbiaklng down. At ali
events, 1t is Vyc0mmonly whispered
that lOi several :! before his execution
CuVerlus was hIunder the influence
OF drugs, and at Mast
FoRTIFIEItTH Alcohol.
possibly In char peand philanthropic
spirit, but 4qlte fi5ly to prevent mis-
making the dreadAnfession.
Consider all the lumstances attend
ing the intimacy Mss Madison and
CluVerlus' anu yo\aYe clue TO the
mystery OF DIS STA up to the fatal
hour. Lhllan was SOr girl, but high
minded, ambitious unite cogntzant
of her exalted cohAons. If she was
aware OF his having engagement tn
another prloi 70 IheillrOper intimacy,
1t was reae"haole W lr that, once the
results OF that intnv hepan To
threaten them, they sld find love sud-
denly converted INTO Nr and DrOspec-
tive disgrace, and at az to apree on a
mutual resolve of sll2n' With Lillian.
however, this silence Id he. at hest
only temporary, and cOI with a de-
mand that her lover sA cancel his
engagement to the otbHy and save
her own honor. With Crtus. on the
contrary, there was prev that mix.
ture OF cruel firmness indecision
which will cause men 30 5e any dan
ger rather than marry "n as a debt
of honor. Cluverius ciealas willing
TO risk the danger DESTROYING
the girl rather t"dNhe dis
grace of marrying woman
IN the condition Miss Madlben was.
And the same circumstance family
pride which surrounded thrcourse
at the outset closed the HpShe par
ticipahts as the tragedy near' senIlel
THE MYSTERIOUS IMAM
Jtake this opportunity OF ring to
the current story that youhy wit.
ness was to have come lofN at the
eleventh hour to prove thaV tim e
the murder was commlLteuyeri1ls
was in her company at the W Hall.
and could not possibly nave con-
cerned in the tragedy A very lords
will suffice as to this. CluVeilA not
a moral man, ana IL Is qul1o that
he had many other acquaintancides
the unfortunate Lillian. In lsere
have been statements from of
loose character to the enect lher-
tain s'houses" the young laWyS
familiar visitor, under the moi
"Merton." But the theory OF thert
Hall Young lady presupposes TIE
aIso WAS an acquaintance that CT
he revealed without preluulcee
Iadv,s reputation. CluVerlus, WI
voorificed one Woman's life to say
self from an incumbrance, was J
sort OF man to refuse to give the NJ
another woman if the evidence
woman could have saved hlln, hol
much he might have cOmpromis eo l
on DANG. Neither is 1t likely IL
woman would see an innocent mar
the gallows if her evidence cOult
saved him. no matter what that eFl
might have implied.
YET ANOTHER THEORY.
In conversation with men of the
nerIectly conyersant with the facts
ease. I have gathered that they I
theory based on total moral depra
CIuyerius. They argue that
Notwithstanding youth or % su
was really, utterly and irredeelnao
from the crown of his head 10 the
bis foot. -. w.,
was a cold bIooded protligste, wh'
the ViscOnti Of old, spared nelth
in their hate nor women IN the
They affirm that CIuyerus piott
PLANNED everything, from the ruin
eirl down to the tragedy at tue res
end that his silence at the iasI eAt
was merely the logged resolve OF
perately wicked man. me Tue
plauslble 20 this extent; maj
with a lIDeage will welgh IN Lhe
his duty TO hts anceslors'anu ms
Gia feIl0w-men, IN winch case pr
which the ANGELS feii-wlll strt
HIM in his resolve. One thing se
ho certain-he made no confession
preacher.
THE STORY OF THE sILKEN r.
great deal has been SAID a.
silken roVe with which culver
hanged, This rope was made oil
coIored silk, and it is AS well 10
that IL was manufacturer ny
young women living outside the
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